Expensive headlight!

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Funny thing is, the headlight assembly is totally blown out and open to the atmosphere and yet that "xenon" bulb still works! Still gives off a decent quality of light too. I saw some supposed replacement units on eBay for less than half the OEM price, but I'd be leery of them. The OEM fender price was over $300. I thought that was a bit high.

Just noticed I spelled deer, 'dear' above. Whoops. Lol.
 
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Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Are they using an oem part? Hopefully that's all that's available. I think we've discussed the inferiority of every aftermarket headlamp assembly


I was actually quite impressed by the ones I got for my Dakota from Rock Auto. (Originals went NS1 long ago.) The ones that I got my mother for her Sable (also from RA) were, near as I could tell, identical in every way to the originals except for not having the Ford oval. (I wonder if they were from the OE vendor.)


I doubt it if they don't have oem markings. How long have you had them installed? Tell Tell signs of non oem housing would start with burning sockets or bulb bases and leaking or condensation from poor sealing. Of course the poor beam pattern is usually readily apparent too.
 
Beam pattern was identical to OE, no problems in the 3 years they were used. No condensation, no burning. (Car was traded.)
 
Back in the 60's, a headlight for my 57 Ford was $2.00. I was poor, so for 6 months, everytime it went out, I would smack the lens real hard with my palm, and it would work for a couple more weeks!
 
Originally Posted By: SumpChump
I am yearning for the day when pumping the gas pedal in winter was my most expensive repair. 1978 Cutlass never let me down 305 Chevy motor.


Isn't that from the soft camshaft years? Smog mill, underpowered & choked up. At least it'd run ok after ditching most of the smog stuff and maybe upgrading intake and exhaust--but then it'd still be a low compression 305.
 
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Even a non-Xenon halogen light can run half a grand or more on some cars, being HID is just a little salt in the wound. Headlights got stupid-expensive when they went from standard formats to being blended into the body and model-specific.



Very True!!
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis

I doubt it if they don't have oem markings. How long have you had them installed? Tell Tell signs of non oem housing would start with burning sockets or bulb bases and leaking or condensation from poor sealing. Of course the poor beam pattern is usually readily apparent too.


The TYC unit I installed in the wife's Escape was going on 6 years when we traded it. It replaced a leaky OEM unit. Installed it and that was it. No leaks, maybe a new bulb or 2 but it still was good when we traded it in this summer.
 
...and headlamps will get even MORE expensive, when the DOT/regulators allow radar controlled systems. Where individual LED's will shut off as a vehicle approaches...
 
Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
...and headlamps will get even MORE expensive, when the DOT/regulators allow radar controlled systems. Where individual LED's will shut off as a vehicle approaches...


Not sure what you're talking about. They have automatic detection already so that the high beams are always on, unless they detect the headlights of another car. I believe they use cameras for that. I believe it's the collision prevention assist which has been around for a few years just uses the radar which is part of the adaptive cruise control.

Things may get expensive, but they can also be reliable. I've had power locks, windows and sunroof not fail during the time I owned various cars. It just gets expensive in an accident, but then insurance usually covers it.
 
Originally Posted By: ecotourist
A deer ran out of the ditch and dented the whole side of our 2007 Honda Accord. A big repair bill - about $5000! Our insurance company considered it a no-fault accident (that's maybe not the right term but it's the right idea) so the accident had no effect on our premium rates. It makes sense too because how are you supposed to stop that from happening.


It would be a comprehensive claim.
 
Originally Posted By: Wolf359

Things may get expensive, but they can also be reliable. I've had power locks, windows and sunroof not fail during the time I owned various cars. It just gets expensive in an accident, but then insurance usually covers it.


True, but things like $2-3K worth of headlights will send a lot of well used cars to the scrap heap, instead of being able to live on. Then again, I believe that's the master plan anymore.
 
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Originally Posted By: JTK
Originally Posted By: Wolf359

Things may get expensive, but they can also be reliable. I've had power locks, windows and sunroof not fail during the time I owned various cars. It just gets expensive in an accident, but then insurance usually covers it.


True, but things like $2-3K worth of headlights will send a lot of well used cars to the scrap heap, instead of being able to live on. Then again, I believe that's the master plan anymore.


What typically happens when a car first comes out is that you have these $1500 prices, then after a few years, the aftermarket ones come out for a few hundred and then you end up with ones in the junkyard that will get parted out on eBay and then they're only a few hundred. As the car ages, the prices tend to go down too.

They were way cheaper back in the 70's and 80's, you just had round or square headlights and they were like $10 for a new one.
 
Originally Posted By: wemay
The older i get, the simpler i become. Things i may have desired in the past but really can do without now...

Wheels bigger than 17 inches
Low profile tires
Low ride height
HID headlights
Whizamadoo interior electronics
Electronic tailgates
DSG

I do still like Turbo but that day may come too.


what would be nice would be for BMW to make a car without all the [censored] on it, retain the steering, ride and brakes, take out all the complicated mechanical and electronic wizzos and do dads. KISS keep it simple stupid
 
Originally Posted By: edwardh1
what would be nice would be for BMW to make a car without all the [censored] on it, retain the steering, ride and brakes, take out all the complicated mechanical and electronic wizzos and do dads. KISS keep it simple stupid


Then exactly how is BMW supposed to stay competitive with MB and Audi in selling leasing cars to the upper crust that buys them, that expect all these bells and whistles?

I hate to tell you this, but you are not BMW's preferred clientele with your dislike of automotive trinkets.

What you're really looking for is someone who can take a Nissan Versa, or some other cheap car, and make enough changes to the suspension and chassis in order to turn it into a drivers car.

BC.
 
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
Whatever you do don't get Eagle Eye. They are the worst.

that's the brand i got for my Neon($75 for the pair), and i had no complaints in the remaining time i owned it, and have heard none from the Current owner(s)(Friends Mother/Little brother).

i did, after installing them, take them to the dealer to have them aimed properly..

but out of curiosity, what makes them "the Worst"?
 
Originally Posted By: earlyre
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
Whatever you do don't get Eagle Eye. They are the worst.

that's the brand i got for my Neon($75 for the pair), and i had no complaints in the remaining time i owned it, and have heard none from the Current owner(s)(Friends Mother/Little brother).

i did, after installing them, take them to the dealer to have them aimed properly..

but out of curiosity, what makes them "the Worst"?
I had one replaced on my Accent. The light output was quite a bit less than OEM and something was different with the internal wiring too as I had to rewire the fog lights I put on. On a Taurus I had they yellowed within a year.
 
I truly miss the old sealed beam headlights. They are still under $10, and work way better than all the yellowed, fogged over lenses you have deal with now. The money saved from a little less wind resistance would more than make up the difference! Always thought a lot of cars with regular old headlamps looked better too, like my 55 Chevy.
 
I had a Triumph TR 7 with the pop up sealed beam headlights. Put in some non sealed beam Cibie Z beams and they were great.
 
Originally Posted By: Traction
I truly miss the old sealed beam headlights. They are still under $10, and work way better than all the yellowed, fogged over lenses you have deal with now. The money saved from a little less wind resistance would more than make up the difference! Always thought a lot of cars with regular old headlamps looked better too, like my 55 Chevy.


If I remember right, either GE,or OSRAM are now making LED drop/plug in replacements for sealed beams.
 
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